INBE4 ANY MORE COMMENTS ABOUT DARK BELOW BEING A HOAX
Yes, I've read the post on the homepage. Yes, I understand it may be a hoax. But I don't care. I had fun writing this thread, so here you go, enjoy it anyway.

TRANSITION BETWEEN MOP AND THE DARK BELOW (TDB)

With the fall of Garrosh Hellscream and the destruction of the Dark Heart, Y'shaarj was silenced once more, it's whispering fading from the lands of Pandaria. The Matid have retreated, and the Mogu are broken. All is quiet on Pandaria. Meanwhile, in the depths of the Great Sea, N'zoth; the drowned Old God, stirs uncomfortably. His brethren Old God's have been subdued. Deathwing, arguably his greatest feat, has failed. The Emerald Nightmare has been tamed. N'zoth is angered. Seeking revenge, it is time for the final push. It is time to take on the world of Azeroth with an army almost as powerful as the Legion itself. An infinite arsenal or Naga, Kraken, Leviathens and Faceless ones. It is time for the horrors of the deep to rise up against the world.

EXPANSION OVERVIEW & POSSIBLE PLOT LINE

Level Cap raised to 100.

Blizzard are well aware that the majority of their player base HATED the Vash'jir realm. I can guarantee you, without speculating, that there will be perhaps at most ONE underwater zone, but not more. If they do decide to have an underwater zone, they will most likely redesign it to work better than Vash'jir.

Blizzard aren't stupid -- they know they'd risk losing a lot of subscribers if they had the whole expac based underwater. So what's the solution to this? Raise the depths of the ocean up. Underwater zones such as Nazjatar and Ny'alotha will be raised above sea level, creating new landmasses around the Maelstrom.

Playable Nagas?

I'm not going to go into races and classes, but hopefully we will see new character models. Perhaps a neutral playable race of Naga that escaped the grasp of their wicked witch queen will be available to play. But then again, there's the issue with the Foot Gear slot and gear design for the Naga (not having legs and all) as well as Ghostcrawler mentioning he didn't like how the neutral race thing turned out. I don't think the Naga will be a playable race, but hey, I've been wrong before.

Jinyu will NOT be a playable race unless Blizzard reinvent their models. They're just night elves for heaven's sake. Murlocs will NOT be a playable race, they lack the intelligent and they are only loyal to the beasts of the deep. Ogres? Yeah, maybe, but Blizzard will need to design a female Ogre version. It's open to debate. But I'm not here to discuss races.

As for new classes? Perhaps a Hydromancer, Tinker, Ranger or something. Not entirely sure. There are lots of class threads out there, go look them up, some of them are really inventive.

ZONES

The Broken Isles (Level 90-92)A collection of both large and small islands south of the Maelstrom.Subzones include; Stormreaver Bay (Horde), New Balor (Alliance), Izal-Shurah (Dungeon), Tomb of Sargeras, Tel'Abim

Plunder Island (Level 92-94)Once home to the Bloodsail Buccaneers, the island has been overrun by Queen Azshara's Naga forces. The Bloodsail have retreated within their Bloodsail Hold where they are bargaining with Azshara for their survival.Subzones include; Bloodsail Hold (Dungeon), Den of the Cold Eye (Dungeon), Blackwater Front

Zandalar (Level 93-95)What's an expansion without more trolls? The island of Zandalar has is mostly ruined from the Cataclysm, however is partially still stands. King Rastakhan will make an appearance as a friendly NPC, in desperate need of salvation to stop Zandalar sinking into the sea.Subzones include: Mount Magamba, Zaldazar.

Drowned Reaches (Level 94-96)This will be the only underwater zone in this expansion. Come on, there has to be at LEAST one, right? But I promise it will be better than Vash'jir! This zone is filled with sunken ships and the dead sailors that sunk with them. Naga fear and avoid the undead, making this zone mostly occupied by other sea creatures and undead. No Naga here.Subzones include: Boiling Terrace, Scintal Reef, Mak'aru (Dungeon), The Restless Pit (Changed from "Restless Bottom", inb4 gay jokes)

Gishan Caverns (Level 95-97)This zone is a complex of caves and tunnels located underwater, but it is mostly dry. Don't worry, you only have to swim to get there. The Naga once feared this place due to the gargantuan creatures and sea giants that resided here, but today these creatures now follow the will of the Corrupted Neptulon who serves N'zoth's arsenal.Subzones Include: Pillar Deep, The Hydrovents, Ozumat's Lair (Dungeon), Kraken Cove

Nazjatar (Level 96-98)N'zoth rose Nazjatar from beneath the ocean so it could become the new stronghold for his forces. Occupied by Naga and Faceless ones primarily. Nazjatar is heavily fortified and equipped ready for a world-wide war. It is the pinnicle of Queen Azshara's offences.Subzones include: The Forgotten Shore, City of Nazjatar, Abyssal Maw (Dungeon)

The Rift of Aln (Level 97-100)This is the Dark Below. Azeroth's very own heart of black ice. The unnatural realm of the shadowey unkown. The rift is both on Azeroth, and far, far away at the same time. It is the realm between realms. There is no day, no night, only eternal darkness. The horrific fortress city of Ny'alotha resides here, and chained beneath it, N'zoth himself. This nightmare of a world is teeming with the most violent, dark and monstrous creatures to ever have been created.Subzones: The Wandering Woods, Ruins of Suramar, The Black Forest, Ny'alotha

The Wandering Woods was once a part of the Emerald Dream. N'Zoth, using the woods as a backdoor entrance into the Dream, has exposed it to Ysera as a gateway into the Dream and so Ysera severed the woods from the rest of the Dream, trapping it forever inside the Rift of Aln to wander endlessly.

The Ruins of Suramar have been scattered across the bottom of the ocean, but the majority of the city has been enveloped within the Rift. The once great elven city is now a haven for the most horrific of faceless creatures.

The Black Forest surrounds the sin city of Ny'alotha. It is known as "Purgatory" by some, as lost souls are sent there after death when they have no other place to go. "When you'll walk among the black forest, you will see." - Y'Shaarj

DUNGEONS

(5) Izal-Shurah (90-93) Once a great highbourne library, now ruined and ancient. Occupied by the Makrura.
Mobs include: Makrura, Highbourne Undead

(5) Bloodsail Hold (92-95) Home to the Bloodsail Buccaneers, who have now bargained with the Naga for their survival.
Mobs include: Humans, Goblins, Naga

(5) Den of the Cold Eye (92-95) The breeding grounds of the Basilisks. A cave complex filled with statues of wondering adventurers.
Mobs include: Basilisks

(R) Ozumat's Lair (Tier 16) Venture into the Mother of all Kraken's lair.
Bosses: 2
Final Boss: Ozumat, Fiend of the Dark Below

(R) The Abyssal Maw (Tier 16) Delve into the abyssal vaults beneath Nazjatar and fight against the Naga's most powerful weapon; Neptulon.
Bosses: 6
Final Boss: Corrupted Neptulon (Neptulon is lost to N'zoth's influence. He must be taken out.)

(R) Mak'aru (Tier 16) Battle through the ocean reef capital city of the Makrura, the Naga's sworn enemies.
Bosses: 7
Final Boss: King Claxx'kar
Heroic-Only Boss: The Leviathan

(R) Bastion of the Sea Witch (Tier 18) Queen Azshara has opened the doors to her royal stronghold. Brave the citadel and end her rule.
Bosses: 12
Final Boss: Queen Azshara

(R) Ny'alotha, City of Sin (Tier 19) The very citadel that houses the Old God N'zoth. If you thought you killed Azshara back in the Bastion, think again. She's too powerful to accept death.
Bosses: 16
Final Boss: N'zoth & Azshara Incarnate

All images used in this thread do not belong to me, they were found using google. The logo image at the top was taken from various other threads here, its author is unknown to me, but I did not make it.

Personally I would much rather have this be the next expansion than something something burning legion.

And I saw, and behold, a pale horse: and he that sat upon him, his name was Death; and Hades followed with him. And there was given unto them authority over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with famine, and with death, and by the wild beasts of the earth.

Sorry OP, can't help but laugh that you jumped the gun and it turns out to be a hoax. Maybe we will see what everyone wants after all, the Legion theme.

Yeah, it's possible that the Dark Below is a hoax, but honestly we just can't tell. The next expansion will not be the Burning Legion, we're not ready. It's fast approaching, but it is not expansion number 5.

Blizzard are well aware that the majority of their player base HATED the Vash'jir realm

No. No. No. Just no.

Vashj'ir was awesome. Anyone saying otherwise is the typical WoW complainer who is afraid of change. Quests were awesome, going around was actually very easy once you got the sea mount, the scenario was awesome, no, fighting was not hard nor the incredibly bugged thing some people make out to be. Best zone in cataclysm.

Sorry OP, can't help but laugh that you jumped the gun and it turns out to be a hoax. Maybe we will see what everyone wants after all, the Legion theme.

Did you read the front page of Mmo Champ before you made this? I suggest you check it out. It's more than likely a hoax.

Many people believed Cataclysm was a hoax. Many people believed MoP was a hoax. Fact is, new WoW expansions always come up like this. It isn't a hoax

Vashj'ir was awesome. Anyone saying otherwise is the typical WoW complainer who is afraid of change. Quests were awesome, going around was actually very easy once you got the sea mount, the scenario was awesome, no, fighting was not hard nor the incredibly bugged thing some people make out to be. Best zone in cataclysm.

Oh, don't worry, I'm in league with you on this one. I loved Vash'jir, it was a beautiful zone. Let me reiterate -- a lot of people didn't like it. It received a lot of bad feedback, it was mostly the whole underwater mechanics people didn't like. Vashj'ir was avoided like the plague by most players. I for one quite liked it, though.

- - - Updated - - -

Originally Posted by stevo5566

This sounds amazing to me, i actually read the entire thing and liked it. Sadly the dark below is probably a hoax.

Thanks! Like it was been said above, Cata and Mists (Especially Mists) were thought to be hoaxes. It is as much real as it is a hoax. You can only believe what you want to!

I would play it. The concept is nice, the dungeons/raids/zones are well thought at. One problem is that Zandalar sank during the Cataclysm. Not to say that Blizzard couldn't change their mind. We will see how things play out in the next few months. We will see Queen Azshara before Sargeras though.

But Naga as playable race? Hell no. GC has said they don't like the idea of neutral races, thank god.

Cheers mate. Tbh I didn't give races/classes much thought. Only said Naga because it was the typical thing to say. Maybe I'll give it more thought over night and edit the OP to include something about a new playable race. But I agree, Nagas are pretty...meh.

Sorry OP, can't help but laugh that you jumped the gun and it turns out to be a hoax. Maybe we will see what everyone wants after all, the Legion theme.

Yeah. EVERYONE does want the Burning Legion, right? All the max 1000-2000 (and that's optimistic) people that play WoW and also post on the MMO-Champion forums!

Or maybe not? I'm laughing at you. He did it only as speculation, you seem to think TDB = 100% hoax, which is "jumping the gun".

Originally Posted by Mall Security

You don't know that she didn't, and it doesn't matter what she said, her parents are "RESPONSIBLE" for her, and as "RESPONSIBLE" parents they protected their child, fuck the little boy or your feelings.

Yeah. EVERYONE does want the Burning Legion, right? All the max 1000-2000 (and that's optimistic) people that play WoW and also post on the MMO-Champion forums!

Or maybe not? I'm laughing at you. He did it only as speculation, you seem to think TDB = 100% hoax, which is "jumping the gun".

I don't know about this whole hoax thing to be fair. Blizzard could have easilly trademarked corgis unleashed as a way of saying "Look, guys, anyone can trademark anything" as a way to throw us off. Or maybe it is a hoax. I don't mind either way, as I stated in the OP, I had fun writing this post and I hope you all enjoy it just as much!

Sorry OP, can't help but laugh that you jumped the gun and it turns out to be a hoax. Maybe we will see what everyone wants after all, the Legion theme.

Sorry, can't help but laugh that you jumped the gun and concluded it was a hoax. The dark below arouses my curiosity much more than a by-the-numbers move like the legion. I think Kul'Tiras will figure prominently though.

My guess at level flow goes something like this:
90-91 New present-day Gilneas storyline where both factions repel a naga invasion (and snipe each other a bit, of course).
91-92 Kul'Tiras, pretty much in a post-apocalyptic state due to naga / elemental / other old god minions onslaught; Jaina gets a big role of course
91-92 The fledgeling free Nerubian kingdom is threatened as N'Zoth moves into Yogg's power vacuum - make peace with Bolvar and scourged Nerubians, help Harrison Jones open deeper levels.
92-93 Kul'Tiras leads to a Vash'ir style zone off its coast to take the fight to the enemy
92-93 Harrison Jones and Bolvar's activity points you towards Tel'Abim where Obrahiim the Traveller has found some applied phlebotinum
93-94 those wacky Zandalari
94-95 Suramar with some satyr, old-old-old horde warlocks, and some Illidan shout-outs